Latch for lockers



May 29, 1928.

J. STURM ET AL LATCH FOR LOCKERS Filed June 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5a ;F a:

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' May 29, 1928. I 1,671,328 I J. STURM ET -AL LATCH FOR LOCKERS FiledJune 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /6 /7 gmmtoz 1 i g i wax/w 6702/ 2W/zA/wv A a ar/:24.

Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH STURM AND WILLIAM L. CALDWELL, OI CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS, BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE BERGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO,A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

m'rcn FOR nooxnns.

Application filed June 12, 1920-. ..8er1al mi. 115,538.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements inlockers of theknock-down type, but is adapted for use in connection with various otherclosures.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction of thelatching means for a locker, whereby upon swinging the door of thelocker inwardly, it will readily and positively close, and remainclosed, until the handle on the door is lifted, and the door pulledoutwardly. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a vertically movablelatching bar, which, in conjunction with a novel type of hook or keeper,will operate to effectively maintain the locker door in closed position.Another'ancl more specific object of the invention is to provide a novelform of latching bar, which is of rugged construction.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofkeeper which will efiect a downward movement of the latching bar,independently of, or regardless of the force of gravity acting on saidbar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel type of handle,which cogperates in a novel manner with the latching ar. "Other objectsand aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred toabove, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course ofthe following description of the elements, combinations, arrangement ofparts and application of principles, constituting the invention; and thescope of protection contemplated, will be indicated in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein we have illustrated a preferredform of embodiment of our invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the locker with the door thereof in openposition.

Fig. 2 is a verticalsection through the housing on the door, showingalso in crosssection, the latching bar'and latching clips attachedthereto.

' Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the door and adjacent portionsof the locker body on the line 3- 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the handle and ad'aeent portions ofthe-jamb strip and door 0 the locker.

, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the vertical housing, latchingbar and keeper.

Fig. 6' is an exploded view, showing the manner in which the handle isinserted into the vertical housing and the latching bar.

Hitherto in locker constructions of a type similar to that hereindescribed, a gravity latching bar has been employed, but on shutting thedoor of a locker of this type with more than a small degree of force,the door would in practically every instance rebound, because noeffective means was provided to prevent such rebound. In many instancesthe user of such a. locker, would, in order to prevent the rebound,close or push the door very gently, so gentlyin fact, that the doorwould not close and the consequent temptation to pilfer the contents ofthe locker would be offered. In order to overcome this difiiculty, ithas been customary to make the, door hinges tight, so that the reboundwould be prevented by excessive friction at the hinges. This method hashowever proven unsatisfactory, because ofthe resulting stiffness ofmovement of the door and the temporary nature of the remedy.

T e herein described novel latching means has been designed to obviatethe aforesaid difficulties, by providing a mechanism which will enablethe door of the locker to be closed positively and effectively,regardless of the degree of force which is employed in closing the door.In view of the fact that locker doors are in a great many instances shutwith more than the usual degree of force necessary to effect a closingthereof, the practicability and advantages of the imroved lockerconstruction will become read- 11y apparent.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the samenumerals, the locker consists of a sheet metal body' l, with a door 2hinged thereto. The door. 2

has vertical box flanges 3 and 4, extending" the full length of thedoor, and formed in the manner shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6. The topopen ends of the box flanges-fare closed by forming the flange 5thereover.

The bottom ends of the box flanges" are-left open to facilitate theinsertion and removal of the latching bar when necessary.

The door is hin ed to the locker 1, as indicated at 6, and when closed,abuts the amb 'such as is disclosed in the strip 7, which extends thefull length of the locker.

Slots 8, 9 and 10 are formed on the inner face of the box flange 3, andthese slots are adapted to receive keepers 11, 12 and 13, which areriveted or otherwise attached to the flange 14, as shown in Figs. 3 and5.

Located in the box flange housing 3, is a vertically movable latchingbar 15, formed with a web portion 16, abutting the inner face of thelocker door, and flanges 17 and 18, extending" inwardly and parallel tothe sides of the box flange housing 3 and preferably in sliding contacttherewith. Spot welded at approximately the middle portion and thetwoends of the web of the latching bar, are -latching clips 19. These clipshave vertical slots 20 formed therein, which are adapted to receive thekeepers 11, 12 and 13, and the clips are preferably formed of a heaviergauge of sheet metal than the latching bar 15, in order to betterWithstand the thrusts of the keepers.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 2, that when the-dooris closed, the upperedge. 21 of the slots 20 in the latching clips, willride up over the inclined top edge 22 of the keepers, until the upperpoint 23 is reached.

In the use of theordinary type of keeper, patent to E. D. Kaser,No.1,532,245, dated-April 7, 1925, when the door is closed with a greatdegree of force, the upward momentum imparted to the latching bar, wouldtend tocause the bar to continue in an upward direction, until it struckthe door jamb, and then rebound from the door jamb, before gravity wouldenable the bar to fall downward iiito the seats 24, and the door wouldopen.

'This difficulty is common to all ty es of construction in which thedownwar and final latching movement of the bar is dependent solely onthe actionof gravity.

In our construction the downward movement of the bar to eflect latching,is accomplished independently of the action of gravity, by forming thelower edge of the keeper in the manner shown at 25 in Figs. 2 and 5. Itwill be apparent that when the point 23 is reached by the upper edge 21of the slot 20, the lower edge 26 of the slot will begin to contact withthe downwardly sloping edge 25 of the keeper and the edge 21 of thelatching clips will be actually forced to move down into the seats 24.In this manner the door is effectively shut or latched, regardless ofhow great a force is used to effect the closure.

Another feature of this invention resides in the novel form of handleshown in Figs. 2 and 6. This handle is formed by bending 1a flat strip27 to a Ushape and providing Qtenoned portions 28 at the ends thereof.

These tenoned portions are forced into mortised portions of the flatstrip 29, as shown lower end of the latching. bar 15. The baris thenpushed upwardly until the slots 36 therein register with the slots 37 inthe locker door, and the slot 38 registers with the slot 39 in the door.The handle is then moved forward with the other hand in the directionindicated by the arrows in Fig 6, whereupon the tenoned portions 28 willenter the slots 36 and 37, the screw 31, will enter the slots 38 and 39,and the strip 29 will contact the front face of the locker. The fingerof the hand is then removed from the opening 35, and the latching barwill fall and securely lock the handle against outward movement, asshown in Fig. 2.

The screw 31, which is freely movable vertically in the slots 38 and 39,serves to act as a stop against the lower edge of the slot 38, andthereby prevents the slots 36 from rising sufiiciently to permit thetenoned portions 28 of the handle to become disengaged from the latchingbar and door, when the handle is raised to unlock the door. If the screw31, were not present, the handle when being lifted to unlock the door,might become disengaged therefrom, but as long as the screw is in place,there is no possibility of such an occurrence. In order to remove thehandle from the door, it is necessary to first unscrew the screw 31sufficiently to clear the slot 38, and when this is done, the latchingbar 15 can be raised sufiiciently to permit the tenoned portions on thehandle to clear the slots 36 and 37.

It will also be apparent from the disposition, of the various slots 36to 39 inclusive, that the latching bar can rise and fall to effectlatching with the keepers, and the handle will remain stationary at alltimes. This is of practical advantage because the latching bar can inthis manner be raised to effect latching without manual lifting of thehandle. In previously known constructions, the handle has in everyinstance been securely fastened to the latching bar, and consequentlywould have to be lifted or would have to rise with the latching bar wheneffecting closure of the door. The door will thus close even if theweight of the hand rests on the handle.

Another feature of construction in our present invention, is theprovision of curved Ill) concealed portion of the padlock keeper with akeylock having a bolt adapted to abut the lower face 41 of the middlekeeper 19.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departingfrom the scope of the following claims, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings, shall be interpreted as. illustrative only, and not in alimiting sense.

Claims: 1. In combination with a locker comprising a body having ahinged door and a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of thedoor, and arranged to form a vertical housing, a keeper mounted on saidbody and arranged to extend into said housing when the door occupies itsclosed position, and a latching bar vertically disposed in said housingand adapted to be first lifted from its normal position by said keeperandthen forced downwardly into its normal and latching position by thekeeper when the door is closed.

bar in said housing, said bar being channel shaped in cross section, theweb of said channel being disposed in contact witli the inner face ofthe door, and the flanges thereof being disposed in planes parallel tothe sides of the locker and towards the rear thereof. a

4; In combination with a locker body and door hinged thereto, a latchingbar vertically disposed at one edge of said door, said bar comprising achannel member haw ing its web disposed in contact with the inner faceof the door and its flanges dis posed in planes parallel to the sides ofand extending towards the rear of the locker body and having latchingclips attached to the web of the hair at spaced intervals,

5. In combination with a locker body and door hinged thereto, a latchingbar disposed at one edge of said door, said bar comprising a channelmember having its web disposed in contact with the inner face of thedoor and its flanges disposed in planes parallel to the sides of andextending toward the -rear of the locker body, and having latching clipsattached to the web. of the bar at spaced intervals, keepers mounted onthe locker body and adapted for interlocking engagement with thelatching clips when the door is closed.

6. In combination with a locker body and door hinged thereto, a latchingbar disposed at one edge of said door, said bar comprising a channelmember having its web disposed in contact with the inner face of thedoor and its flanges disposed in planes parallel to the sides of andextending toward the rear of the locker body, and having latching clipsattached to the web of the bar at spaced intervals thereon, keepersmounted on the locker body and adapted to first force the clips upwardlyand then downwardly into latching position therewith when the lockerdoor is closed.

7. Latching mechanism for a locker comprising a vertically disposed bar,channel shaped in cross-section, latching clips at tached to the web ofsaid barat spaced intervals thereon, said cli s having verticallydisposed slots therein, lice ers for attachment to the body of the locer and adapted to enter the slots in said clips for interlockingengagement with the clips.

8. Latching mechanism for a locker comprising a vertically disposed bar,channel shaped in cross-section, and formed of light gauge sheet'metal,latching clips attached to the web of said bar at spaced intervalsthereon, and formed of heavier gauge sheet metal than said bar, saidclips having vertically disposed slots therein, keepers for attachmentto the body of the locker and adapted to enter the slots in said clipsfor interlocking engagement with the clips.

9. Latching mechanism for a locker comprising a vertically disposed barchannel sha ed in cross-section, latching clips attac ed to the web ofsaid bar at spaced intervals thereon, said clips having verticallydisposed slots therein, keepers for attachment to the body of the lockerand adapted to enter the slots in said clips, said keepers first actingagainst the top edge of the slots to force the latching bar upward, thenacting against the bottom edge of the slots to force the bar downward tothereby effect in terlocking engagement between the keepers keepersmounted on a locker body.

12. A locker latching mechanism comprising a vertically disposed channelbar, having latching clips attached to the web thereof at spaced pointsthereon, said clips having vertlcally disposed slots "therein, keepersattached to the body of the locker and adapted to enter the slots insaid clips in such manner that the keeper will first engage the top edgeof the slot and then the bottom edge of the slot, to effect interlockingengagement with the clips.

13. A keeper for a locker latching mechanism, comprising a hook-likemember having upwardly and downwardly sloping edges, the

downwardly sloping edge being approximately twice as long as theupwardly sloping edge, and effective to force a latching bar downwardlyinto latching position after the bar has passed the limit of theupwardly sloping edge. I

14. In a latch for a locker the combination ot a handle and a latchingbar,.said

is closed, and having slot-s therein adapted to receive tenoned portionson said handle, to thereby retain the handle on the door, but therebeing no fixed connection between said handle and latching bar.

16. In combination with a locker comprising a body having a hinged doorand a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of the door andarranged to form a housing, a keeper mounted on said body and arrangedto extend into said housing when the door occupies its closed position,and a latching bar disposed in said housing and adapted to be firstmoved from its normal position by said keeper and then forced into itsnormal" and latching position by the keeper when the door is closed.

JOSEPH STURMr WILLIAM L. CALDWELL.

